Since 1984, Child Advocates, Inc. has been speaking up for Houston’s abused and neglected children. Our volunteers are at the heart of our mission. They wipe tears and give hugs, but most importantly they serve as the judge’s eyes and ears in the court system. They do whatever it takes to find a permanent home for the children they serve — a home where they can thrive.
Ways to volunteer… 1. 2. 3. 4.
Become a Court Appointed Advocate Join the Friends of Child Advocates Join the Young Professionals for Children ‘Done in a Day’ activities
How to become a court appointed advocate… In three easy steps, you can join the ranks of the 700+ active volunteers who provide critical advocacy for child victims of lifethreatening abuse. Visit: www.childadvocates.org/BeAnAdvocate
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Register for Orientation
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Attend Orientation
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Attend Advocacy University (30-hour training course)
Fast facts about Child Advocates… n n
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Superior Court Judge David Soukup (Seattle, WA) conceived the idea for the CASA model and began appointing volunteers to cases in 1977; today there are over 900 CASA programs in the United States. Child Advocates, Inc. started in Harris County in 1984; the decision was made not to use the CASA acronym to better distinguish ourselves from the many other Houston companies and organizations using the word “casa” in their names. On average, Child Advocates has over 700 court appointed advocate volunteers active on cases. On any given day, there are nearly 4,000 children in protective custody; therefore, we currently serve about one half of the local children in the system. Child Advocates is not a United Way agency. We rely on gifts made by individuals and non-government groups for more than 75% of our budget each year. $ 0.80 of every dollar directly supports the children we serve.
Frequently Asked Questions So, what exactly does a court appointed advocate do? Once appointed by a judge, our court appointed advocate volunteers begin a process of information gathering with the goal of guiding abused children out of the foster care system. They identify the child's needs and ensure they receive critical rehabilitative services. They act as a communications link between the child, the courts and everyone involved in the case, including parents, caregivers, relatives, caseworkers, attorneys and therapists. Volunteers gather all the pertinent information about their child's case and make recommendations to the judge based on that information. Volunteers provide a continuum of services customized to meet each child's needs. They locate vital therapeutic and rehabilitative services for the children we serve to help them deal with the trauma of abuse. They also link the children with the wide variety of esteem-boosting activities that Child Advocates provides, such as birthday parties, trips to watch sporting events or visits to the zoo. As volunteers identify specific unmet needs, they work with our Special Needs Program to find a solution, such as buying bunk beds for children who have to sleep on the floor. Volunteers work in tandem with a Child Advocates’ staff member, an advocacy coordinator, who guides their casework and supports the efforts of the volunteer. Our advocacy coordinators attend family visits with their volunteers, teach them how to most effectively testify in court and offer advice on working with children and families from diverse backgrounds. What type of person makes a good Child Advocates’ volunteer? Volunteers come from all careers, cultures, educational backgrounds, ages, and experiences - that's what makes this program work. The primary requirements for being a court appointed advocate volunteer with Child Advocates are that you have a genuine interest in the well-being of children, are a proactive communicator and complete our Advocacy University training course. Court appointed advocate volunteers are objective, responsible, committed, persistent and understand the important role they have in a child's life. Both men and women are needed as volunteers and you must be at least 21 years of age. How much time does it take to be a Child Advocates' volunteer? In the same amount of time you spend each week doing something ordinary, like attending a movie, you can do something extraordinary: change the life of an abused child. Volunteers average 2 to 5 hours of casework per week (8 to 20 hours per month). Most of our volunteers work full-time jobs of their own. Does Child Advocates have the resources to meet its goals? Child Advocates enjoys great support throughout the community. We receive the majority of our funding through donations from foundations, corporations, churches and individuals. We are not a United Way agency and do not charge a fee for our service to children. Perhaps the strongest measure of our community support and program sustainability are the more than 1,000 individuals who volunteer to serve each year as members of our Board of Directors, Advisory Board, the Friends of Child Advocates or the Young Professionals for Children, as court appointed volunteers and in other roles. Throughout our 32 years, we have trained more than 5,000 advocate volunteers and served nearly 23,000 abused children. For more information on Child Advocates, please visit: www.childadvocates.org or call us at: 713-529-1396